Libreria Nanni
Libreria Nanni reminds me of what American bookstores used to be like, only better. The staff will ask what you’re looking for, almost like you’re in a library, and handpick a few options for you. I found it rewarding to chat with them in Italian and get their recommendations. You can also browse on your own.
I bought a copy of Mariangela Gualtieri’s Quando non morivo (When I Wasn’t Dying), Franco Marcoaldi’s Animali in versi (Animals in Verse), and Peter Wohlleben’s La forza gentile degli alberi (Der lange Atem der Bäume).
Libreria Nanni is the oldest bookstore in Bologna. The Marchesi family opened it in 1825, then Arnaldo Nanni took it over in 1928 and added Paris-style bookstalls under the Portico della Morte.
After World War II, the shop became known for its rare and antique books. The staff began tracking down hard-to-find titles and reprinting classics in literature, philosophy, and science.
While most books are in Italian, the stalls in front of the store had material in mulitple languages. The architecture alone is worth seeing. After I browsed the shelves, I bought a sandwich from Tigelleria Tigellino and ate in a nearby piazza. A perfect afternoon.
Via Dè Musei, 8
40124 Bologna, Italy
Monday–Saturday
9:30am–7:30pm
Sunday
10:30am–6:30pm
More places in Bologna, Italy.
Libreria Nanni, the oldest bookstore in Bologna, Italy
